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Scripture • World English Bible
Matthew 7:1–12
1“Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged.
2For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you.
3Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye?
4Or how will you tell your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ and behold, the beam is in your own eye?
5You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye.
6“Don’t give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
7“Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you.
8For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened.
9Or who is there among you who, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?
10Or if he asks for a fish, who will give him a serpent?
11If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
12Therefore, whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
World English Bible (WEB) • Public Domain
Reflection
Jesus cuts straight to the heart. Don’t judge, he says—not because criticism is always wrong, but because we too often condemn others from a place of blind self-righteousness. The image is brutal: a man pointing at a speck while a beam sticks out of his own eye. Jesus demands we correct ourselves first so we can see clearly and help others without hypocrisy.
That correction is practical. It means humility, confession, and real work on the sinful pattern that makes us quick to criticize. It also means wisdom about people and timing. Jesus warns against throwing what is holy to dogs or pearls before pigs—don’t waste gospel truth where it will be trampled and turn into danger for you or them. Some conversations require discretion, relationship, and readiness to bear fruit.
Then Jesus shifts to confidence in God’s fatherly goodness: ask, seek, knock. Persistent prayer and dependence on the Father undergird truthful living. We don’t fix people by willpower or performance; we ask God to change us and others, and we expect him to answer as a good Father.
Finally Jesus hands us the ethic that shapes everything: do to others what you want them to do to you. That rule exposes our motives. If we truly want grace, mercy, and help when we fail, we must give those things. Kingdom men are honest about sin, courageous in loving confrontation when necessary, wise about where to invest truth, and relentless in prayer and kindness.
Putting Faith Into Action
- Identify one recent situation where you judged another and write a short confession to God asking him to change your heart about it; commit to one specific reparative action toward the person if safe and appropriate.
- Pick a trusted brother and ask him to read a hard truth to you this week; listen without defending, then thank him and pray for the courage to act on what he said.
- This week practice the Golden Rule once each day: choose one concrete, generous thing you’d want someone to do for you and do it for another person.
Prayer
Father, give me sight to see my own blind spots and the humility to remove them. Keep my words measured and my motives pure when I confront others. Teach me wisdom about where to invest truth and when to protect what is holy. Help me to ask, seek, and knock with perseverance, trusting your generous heart. Shape me by your grace so I treat others as I long to be treated, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Memory Verse
Matthew 7:12 — Therefore, whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets. (WEB)
“Therefore, whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets.”
Bible Context
Read all of Matthew 7
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Bible Context
Read all of Matthew 7
Matthew 7
World English Bible • WEB
1“Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged.
2For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you.
3Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye?
4Or how will you tell your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ and behold, the beam is in your own eye?
5You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye.
6“Don’t give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
7“Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you.
8For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened.
9Or who is there among you who, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?
10Or if he asks for a fish, who will give him a serpent?
11If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
12Therefore, whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
13“Enter in by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter in by it.
14How narrow is the gate and the way is restricted that leads to life! There are few who find it.
15“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.
16By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles?
17Even so, every good tree produces good fruit, but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit.
18A good tree can’t produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit.
19Every tree that doesn’t grow good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22Many will tell me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works?’
23Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.’
24“Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26Everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
27The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell—and its fall was great.”
28When Jesus had finished saying these things, the multitudes were astonished at his teaching,
29for he taught them with authority, and not like the scribes.
World English Bible (WEB) • Public Domain
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